Lemon Basil Chicken Salad

This Lemon Basil Chicken Salad is perfect for lunch! It's made with rotisserie chicken tossed in a creamy lemon dressing and fresh herbs.

I'm always on the lookout for easy recipes with fresh flavors and simple ingredients that can be served for lunch or a light dinner. This Basil Chicken Salad checks every one of those boxes.

As the weather warms up, I don't want to spend hours in the kitchen every evening. Come spring and summer I'd rather be out for a walk, gardening, or spending time outdoors whenever possible.

These are the times when shortcut ingredients like rotisserie chicken come in handy. You can grab a rotisserie chicken for under $10.00 in most supermarkets and use it to create some seriously tasty meals.

One of my favorite things to make with rotisserie chicken is chicken salad. Rotisserie chicken is already cooked and seasoned, which cuts down on cooking time and ingredients. This version is tossed with garlic, shallots, bell peppers, fresh basil, and tossed in a creamy lemon mayo dressing.

The fresh herbs and lemon juice help to brighten up the flavors of this dish. It can be enjoyed on its own as a dip with some crackers or crostini, served with bread or buns as a sandwich, in a wrap, or in lettuce cups. This chicken salad is great for lunch, a light dinner, or as part of a picnic.

Jump to:

• How To Add Flavor To Chicken Salad
• Ingredients For Lemon Basil Chicken Salad
• Which Chicken Is Best For Chicken Salad?
• How To Roast Chicken For Chicken Salad
• How To Make Lemon Mayo Dressing
• How To Make Chicken Salad
• What To Serve With Lemon Basil Chicken Salad
• Can This Chicken Salad Be Made Ahead?
• How Long Does Chicken Salad Last In The Fridge?
• Can It Be Frozen?
• Lemon Basil Chicken Salad

How To Add Flavor To Chicken Salad

Chicken salad is great because you can customize it any way you like. It's delicious with any number of spices, herbs, and dressings. Chicken salad may be dressed up with fresh veggies, fruits, and crunchy ingredients like nuts or seeds.

This recipe highlights flavors that are best enjoyed during the spring and summer months. It's made with bright flavors like fresh basil and lemon juice. This chicken salad is made more flavorful with the addition of garlic and shallots, bell peppers, and Dijon mustard.

The fresh basil helps to wake up the chicken salad. The whole dish feels light and like just the kind of thing you're looking for when the weather is warm.

Ingredients For Lemon Basil Chicken Salad

Here's what you'll need to make it.

• 2 lbs. Rotisserie Chicken (yields 4 cups chopped chicken)
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 2 Shallots
• 1 Bell Pepper (diced) (any color)
• ⅓ cup Mayo
• 2 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
• 3 Tbsp. Lemon Juice (split)
• ¼ tsp. each of Kosher Salt and Pepper
• ⅓ cup fresh Basil

Which Chicken Is Best For Chicken Salad?

One of the things that makes this Lemon Basil Chicken Salad so easy is the fact that it's made using rotisserie chicken. Rotisserie chicken is already cooked and seasoned, which cuts down on cooking time.

The only "work" involved in making this chicken salad is to remove the skin from the chicken, cut the meat from the bones, and dice it into cubes or shred into pieces (depending on which texture of chicken salad you prefer).

You can also use leftover roasted or grilled chicken or leftover turkey if that's what you have on hand. If preferred, you can roast boneless, skinless chicken breasts or bone-in (also known as split) chicken breasts in the oven.

This recipe is gluten free, so it's important to make sure that the rotisserie chicken used does not contain gluten if it's an issue for you. Most rotisserie chicken is gluten free, but it's best to check the label to be safe.

1. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove it from the package. Remove the skin and discard (the skin is edible and you can add it to the chicken salad if you like, but it will change the texture and fat content of the recipe).
2. Carefully pull all of the white and dark meat from the bones and place it onto a cutting board. Cut the chicken into cubes or shred it (depending on your preferred texture). Feel free to cut the pieces as large or small as you like.
3. Place the diced chicken into a large mixing bowl (yields 4 cups diced chicken).
4. Discard any bones from the chicken.

How To Roast Chicken For Chicken Salad

You can roast the chicken yourself if you prefer that to using rotisserie chicken. The process of roasting chicken in the oven is easy and can be done ahead of time if needed.

If you choose to roast the chicken, I recommend using bone-in (also known as split) chicken breasts. Split chicken breasts are great because they are roasted with the bone and the skin, which keeps the meat moist and flavorful.

It takes about 40-45 minutes to roast the chicken at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cooking times will vary, depending on the size of the chicken breasts. The best way to tell if chicken is fully cooked is to insert a food thermometer into the thickest part of the meat. The chicken is ready when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

1. To roast the chicken, heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place 2 bone-in (also known as split) chicken breasts (equals 2 - 2 ½ lbs. of chicken breasts) onto a baking sheet.
3. Drizzle 1 Tbsp. of olive oil over the chicken breasts, making sure that both the top and bottom are evenly coated in the oil.
4. Sprinkle ¼ tsp. each of kosher salt and pepper over the top of the chicken breasts.
5. Flip the chicken breasts over and sprinkle another ¼ tsp. each of kosher salt and pepper over the second side.
6. Place the chicken breasts skin-side up on the baking sheet.
7. Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast the chicken for 40-45 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit using a food thermometer.
8. Once the chicken is fully cooked, remove the baking sheet from the oven and set aside, allowing the chicken to cool.
9. Place the cooked and cooled chicken breasts on a cutting board and dice or shred the chicken, depending on your preference.
10. Make sure to remove and discard any bones before adding to the chicken salad.
11. Feel free to include the skin if you like. If not, simply discard the skin.
12. You should end up with about 4 cups of diced or shredded chicken. Place the cooked chicken into a mixing bowl.

How To Make Lemon Mayo Dressing

You can't have chicken salad without a tasty dressing.

Some chicken salad recipes call for a heavy, creamy dressing and others go for more of a vinaigrette-style.

This recipe is somewhere in between. The dressing is made with mayo, so it's rich and creamy and has that great tangy flavor we all know and love, but it's balanced with Dijon mustard and brightened up with lemon juice.

There's enough dressing to coat the chicken salad, but not so much that it's swimming. You can also customize by adding as much or as little of the dressing to the chicken as you like.

1. To make the dressing, squeeze 3 Tbsp. of fresh lemon juice (equals 1-2 lemons).
2. Add ⅓ cup mayo to a small mixing bowl along with 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard (you can also use stone ground mustard), 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, and ¼ tsp. each of kosher salt and pepper.
3. Mix all of these ingredients until completely combined using a fork or a small whisk.

How To Make Chicken Salad

Once the chicken and dressing are ready, all that's needed is to mince the garlic and shallots, dice a bell pepper, and mince the basil.

All the ingredients are then added to a mixing bowl and tossed with the creamy lemon dressing. The fresh basil is added before serving along with a squeeze of extra lemon juice.

This recipe is made with shallots, which are less pungent than onions with a slightly nutty flavor. I love to use shallots when making dishes like chicken salad. If you can't find shallots, feel free to substitute half a small onion (any variety).

1. Start by mincing 4 cloves of garlic and 2 shallots (or half a small onion, any variety).
2. Dice 1 bell pepper (any color). I prefer red, orange, or yellow bell peppers to green because they are slightly sweeter and less vegetal in flavor.
3. Mince ⅓ cup of fresh basil.
4. Place the diced or shredded chicken into a large bowl along with the minced garlic and shallots and diced bell peppers.
5. Pour the dressing over the chicken salad and toss until completely combined.
6. Pour the extra 1 Tbsp. of lemon juice over the top and add the minced basil. Stir again until all of the ingredients are completely combined.

What To Serve With Lemon Basil Chicken Salad

This Lemon Basil Chicken Salad can be served as-is, or as a dip with some crackers or crostini. It can also be served on some toasted bread or buns as a sandwich, in a wrap, or in some lettuce cups.

I love it in a wrap or on a sandwich with some sliced tomatoes and hearty greens such as arugula or spinach.

This is one of those dishes that's great with a side salad, soup, or side dishes like roasted vegetables such as this Parmesan roasted cauliflower or garlic green beans.

It's nice with a summer salad like this pickled beet salad, Italian green bean salad, grilled corn salad, Italian tomato salad, or minty pea salad.

Chicken salad pairs well with soups like this Italian vegetable soup, asparagus broccoli soup, or cannellini bean kale soup.

Looking for more lunch recipes? Don't miss these!

• Chipotle Chicken Panini
• Italian Mozzarella Grilled Cheese
• Gouda Chicken Grilled Cheese
• Mustard Egg Salad
• Dill Egg Salad

Can This Chicken Salad Be Made Ahead?

The great thing about this dish is that it can be made the day ahead.

Once all the ingredients are combined, it's ready to go. If making ahead, simply store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

How Long Does Chicken Salad Last In The Fridge?

This is a great recipe to prepare and enjoy throughout the week because it lasts 3-4 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Make sure to store in the refrigerator as it contains mayo.

Can It Be Frozen?

I do not recommend freezing this recipe as it is best enjoyed fresh or within a few days.

If you have stored the chicken salad in the fridge for a few days and found it has dried out a bit, you can liven it up with a squeeze of lemon or add a little extra mayo.

Love chicken salad? Check out this Lemon Tarragon Chicken Salad and Wild Rice Chicken Salad!

Looking for more lunches to enjoy? Check out these recipes!

• Rotisserie Chicken Pesto Flatbread
• Italian Quinoa Arugula Salad
• Quinoa Zucchini Shrimp Salad
• Smoked Salmon Arugula Quinoa Salad
• Curried Chickpea Salad Sandwiches

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Healthy Chicken Salad

Curry Chicken Salad

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